Appreciation letters were sent to one of our staff member's son
and troops stationed in the Middle East for Veteran's Day.
The letters were sent from the students in Mrs. Wroblewski's and
Mrs. Marinstein's classes. The troops were extremely
appreciative of the students thoughtfulness and replied with a
big "Thank you Menands School for all of your wonderful
letters!"

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2018 Menands School Spelling Bee

Congratulations to all students who participated in the 2018
Spelling Bee. A special congratulations goes out to our
winner Daniel from grade 7 and Somida, our runner up from grade
8. Thank you to Mrs. Ball and the staff members who
organized the event. A job well done by all!

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Important Information
Regarding Drop off and Pick Up of Students -Effective Monday, December
10th(click
here).

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We are excited to share with you the newest edition of
the Menands School PawPrints - "From Vision to Realty:
Menands Begins Capital Project!". You can check it out
here :Menands Paw Prints
Copies were sent home to all Menands School families.
Print copies are available at the Village Office, library and
school.
______________________________
From Vision to Reality:
Menands Breaks Ground on Capital Project

On October 30th, the Menands School Community in the
company of a number of supportive local dignitaries, broke
ground for additions and renovations associated with a voter
approved capital project.

In her remarks, Dr. Long shared the following:
"As most of us know, Menands is an incredibly unique and special
school and community. It is because of the support and vision of
this community that we have arrived at this moment. A
moment that will, for years to come, positively impact the lives
of the children of Menands."(Click here for Ground Breaking Video)______________________________

Menands School Path Closed
Until Further Notice: Due to the Building Project
and construction occurring at Menands School the path that runs
from the Village to the school will be closed until further
notice. For safety purposes pedestrian traffic will not be
allowed. Your understanding and cooperation is
appreciated.

______________________________

December Dates to Remember:

12/24-Jan. 1st - NO SCHOOL
- Holiday Recess

Classes Resume January 2nd

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Changes in
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures

The first phase of our capital construction
project will include work being done to the entrance by the
cafeteria to create what will be the “new main entrance”, and
the expansion to the cafeteria.It will also include additions for a pre-K classroom, and
a new middle school wing.During this work the entrances/exits closest to the
cafeteria and the kindergarten classrooms will be accessible
only for emergency purposes.What results are the following changes related to student
arrival and dismissal:
Please
click here for detailed information.

Please call Menands School at 518-465-4561 to make an
appointment prior to coming to the school.

_____________________________

Free and Reduced Lunch

If your family income or your family
situation has changed, your child(ren) may be eligible to receive
free and/or reduced priced meals in school. This includes both
breakfast and lunch.(letter)(application)

"Pursuant to section 300.573 (b) of 34 CFR of the Federal
Regulations 20, the Menands Union Free School District is
destroying all records of students who received special
education services with birth dates of 1990. Families of
students born who wish to obtain their records from the Office
of Special Education, must contct Lisa Buoniconto prior to June
29, 2018 at 518-465-4561 ext. 255. Records not claimed bt
this date will be removed from the files and destroyed.

In accordance with District policy #8134, Emergency Closing
decisions are made in consideration of the fundamental concern
for safety, health, and wellness of children. Among the
factors taken into consideration is windchill. In that
regard, the District utilizes the guidance provided from the New
York State Center for School Health.

Any decisions to close or delay are made as early as possible
and publicized on the school web page, via local media outlets,
and using the Everbridge Notification System.

______________________________

Executive Order Does Not Allow for Prepayment of 2018
School Property Taxes

The recent Executive Order signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo allowing
for the early payment of New York State taxes to assist in
federal tax write-offs does not apply to 2018-19 school property
taxes. Read
more about this Executive Order

______________________________

Congratulations Students & Staff

It is our great pleasure to share with you that it was reported
by the Times Union that Menands School was rated as #4 in the
ranking of the 2018 Best Public Middle Schools in the Albany
Area. The information was compiled by Niche, and according
to their webpage, "is based on a rigorous analysis of key
statistics...ranking factors include state test scores,
student-teacher ratio, student diversity, teacher quality,
middle school ratings, and overall quality of the school
district." In a similar ranking, also by Niche we
were recognized among the top elementary schools at #6.

Working papers can now be found online.
Please go to the "Quick Links" section of the website and click on
"forms".

__________________________________

In order to access the
PowerSchool parent portal please click this link. (parentportal)

________________________________

Emergency Alert Program

Get alerted about emergencies and other important community news
by signing up for the Village of Menands’ Emergency Alert
Program. This system enables us to provide you with critical
information quickly in a variety of situations, such as severe
weather, school closures and delays, etc.

You will receive time-sensitive messages wherever you specify,
such as your home, mobile or business phones, email address,
text messages and more.

Town of Colonie Sex Offender Watch
Menands School District works
closely with parents and guardians to ensure the safety of students
at all times. Parents can become informed about convicted sex
offenders living in this area by following this link to the Town of
Colonie Police Department website.
(more information)